MickeyOne wrote:The problem with Rics for me is they play great but sound terrible.Very comfortable neck (33.25" scale) but pickups are weak and LACK bottom.

I was reminded of this last week when I tried a used '79 FireGlo which ontop of the usual needed a fret Job-which are like $4-500 on these.

I have heard that Rickenbacker put in a resistor or transistor or something which removes bass (because amps back then could not handle the bottom end) and that this can be easily bypassed.

Has anyone tried this or played a Rick with this mod?

I still have limited experience with this thing but so far for me it's somewhat hard to play but sounds great. I've got TI flats on it which I've used for years on fretless basses so I'm used to the low tension thing. Its got a nice round fat sound that is still nicely articulated. The neck PU is real weak but it does add some beef to the sound. I haven't messed with playing just the neck PU, but you'd have to crank the hell out of the amp to do it

I find the pickup surround on the bridge PU is annoying even though I have the cover off and the aftermarket thumbrest/fill-up-the hole thing. Seems like the string spacing is the same at the nut and the bridge which just seems odd to me but I guess one would get used to it.

I have the push pull bass roll off thing which can supposedly make it sound like the original 4001. Seems useless to me but I don't want to sound like Squire or Geddy. To me the thing sounds almost Stingray like but not as aggressive. It can get a good snarl going if you dig in a little though I find you can only dig so much with the TI flats before they sound like crap.

I'm probably going to play it a couple of times next month when I'm subbing in an old school soul band next month. I may take my Lakland as well though just in case. I'm looking forwaed to giving the Ric another whirl or two. I'm looking forward to it.

There are two kinds of music, the good kind and the other kind. I like both.

I have a ~2010 Ric 4003 in JetGlo that I got in a trade. I put TI Flats on mine as well and love them on it. Takes awhile to get used to the feel of a Ric. I play it pretty regularly with a blues band, and it sounds great with the TIs. The odd thing is that people always notice the Ric at a gig. I can have a gorgeous G&L or MusicMan and no one will pay it any mind, but bring out the Ric and I always get a comment or question.

Rics are a different beast for sure. A setup is a total PITA with the dual truss rods, and the bridge is just short of medieval. On mine, the pickup cover had been removed, so I put it back on and discovered quickly why the prior owner had removed it. I purchased an aftermarket pickup bezel from Pickguardian, tried that, and ended up going back to the stock setup without the cover. I occasionally bang my finger on the edge around the pickup, but otherwise, I enjoy playing it. The neck at first feels odd compared to a G&L, but I find it to be great once I get playing on it.

I bought the Bayou Sound version of a Ric-o-sound splitter box, but I've never used that stereo function at a gig -- too much gear to haul -- although I have played around with it in a studio and it was kinda fun.

Played out with the Ric for the second time and I'm quite impressed for now. Unlike my normal association of trebley, clanky tone, it makes a lovely smooth sound (with flats) that my Musicman & Lakland just can't do. With the TIs, it's all about turning the amp up and plucking lightly. I can also get a much more aggressive tone rolling off or taking out the neck PU and plucking harder closer to the bridge. And I still think it just looks cool.

It's good to be in a band (for the summer anyway) again after a long hiatus. Still can't stand up all night without a lot of pain, but much better than a year and a half ago. I'm a Rock star again!!!

There are two kinds of music, the good kind and the other kind. I like both.

I think it's great you got you and the Ric into a blues band cuz I'm really fed up with the typical bar blues band with the bass booming all over the room so the geetard feels obliged to crank waaaaay past 11 and I can barely stay long enuf to say "high" to friends and then I need to get the hell outa there taco pronto :-( And, yes, I do wear earplugs, Remington brand from the ammo counter at Walmart !

Golem wrote:I think it's great you got you and the Ric into a blues band cuz I'm really fed up with the typical bar blues band with the bass booming all over the room so the geetard feels obliged to crank waaaaay past 11 and I can barely stay long enuf to say "high" to friends and then I need to get the hell outa there taco pronto :-( And, yes, I do wear earplugs, Remington brand from the ammo counter at Walmart !